another rave for Arlington's GREEN PIG BISTRO (11-19-20)

 We have felt so comfortable at the GREEN PIG Bistro in Arlington, we returned last week for another indoor dining episode with one friend....we are trying to limit our contacts.

The indoors was a bit more crowded than it was when we went a month earlier, but everyone was well spaced and interactions were minimal. I am concerned what will happen with newer laws limiting indoor dining as we enter the winter months, but that would apply anywhere. I hope all these establishments can "hunger" through the winter.

Our server Jackie was a dream and when i ordered the Melon de Bourgogne from Eric Chevalier "Clos de la Butte" 2018 Muscadet, Cote de Grande Lieu I was warned it was the last bottle. The wine list is very reasonable here so we then headed to a 2018 Clos Pegase Chardonnay from Carneros in Napa Valley that we haven't tried in ages(maybe decades) and always love with good shellfish. 

We started with a selection  of starters including Chef Tracy O'Grady's Deviled Eggs which are to die for and have that wonderful crunch from bacon and flavor from a dash of mustard. Who doesn't like Biscuits with Honey & Butter. They were so good, mine was gone in, but Will and our friend, Holly, both decided to save them for breakfast the next day. Chef Tracy immediately nixed that idea and brought us all doggie bags for our next morning!! The dish created last month entitled Bacon & Parmesan Crackers with Marinade has earned the affectionate term "Bacon Crack" from Will and these little bacon-wrapped treats are simply super; not to be missed.

When Chef advised that the star dish on the menu was the Diver Scallops with Smoked Pork Ravioli, Cauliflower Puree, Chanterelles, Caramelized Pearl Onions, Heirloom Carrots and Truffle Broth we all immediately agreed on the same main course. It was divine and everything from the super caramelized small onions to the huge seared scallops and rich raviolis had us swooning at every bite. Small crunchy discs of sun-dried tomatoes added to the dish, which indeed has to be one of the most wonderful ones we have had in ages. We ordered the Mexican Street Corn for a side, but never got to it, instead enjoying it tremendously the next night at home with our roast chicken dinner(another ideal pairing!). The Cornbread comes in a cast iron pan with a gob of maple butter on top and is another dish that reheats so easily the next day--we loved it all. Stuffed we were, but dessert here is irresistible and and we all split the Hot Apple Crumble with Ice Cream. Lovisolo Barbera Brut Rose was a perfect pairing for the dessert as our chardonnay(which paired beyond brilliantly with the scallops) was all gone! I know that Green Pig Bistro has a name that sounds like a burger joint, and believe me, the burgers are great, but if you want a safe night out(inside or outside dining) and seek something a step above and want a menu that will impress, head to Clarendon's Green Pig Bistro!

Middleburg's (VA) Red Fox Inn requires some tweaking (11-15-20) but has a terrific tasting menu

 Our last night bd before heading home was indeed in the "country" in Middleburg, VA just an hour from home. We opted to skip the hotel restaurant and head a 1/2 mile into the historic town, which turned out to be a great choice for the most part. The Red Fox Inn is an historic spot dating to the 17th century and while we ate outside, we did get to view the historic Tap Room after dinner. On arrival we were guided to a huge tent that had been erected over a slate patio. Eighteen or so wrought iron tables and chairs (with cushions!) were arranged over the space with decent distancing, especially since the place was empty at 7pm. There were plastic walls to protect from the cold, wind and rain and a giant heater generated more than enough warmth. It felt like we were indeed inside. 

After a while other folks began to arrive and the host(who we were told was new) kept seating everyone in our area rather than spacing us out. Our beyond brilliant server, Caroline, told us that was the way they seat folks for the servers to have it a bit easier. We all understood and then asked to be moved as there was so much space; another table also did the same thing.  Only about 6 tables were occupied and it made no sense for them to be all in one corner!

The only option here is a four course tasting menu for $125, which was elegant and varied, although two dishes featured butternut squash and two featured pears which was a bit lopsided, We ordered a bottle of 2016 Barboursville Vineyards Vermentino Reserve as the wine list had a wonderful selection of Virginia wines. It paired brilliantly with my superb starter of Butternut Squash & Sage Wontons which were fried perfectly and crispy and sat atop a mound of soft goat cheese with hazelnuts and plum chutney giving the dish a burst of flavors. Will's Lamb Meatballs were declared "unexciting" and came with feta, pine nuts, charred red onion and minted yogurt.

The next course fared better for Will with Butternut Squash Bisque (declared "delicious") with Creme Fraiche and Candied Pumpkin Seeds. I swooned over my Beets with Goat Cheese, and while the marinated beets were not as good as the smoked ones from the night before in Richmond, the overall salad was made a star from the large disc of Monocacy Ash Goat Cheese & two-tone crunchy rye croutons. A bit more arugula would have been welcome, and the beets were described as "whole grain mustard marinated beets," but they had no mustardy taste at all. Despite this, I adored the overall dish.

We moved on to a 2010 La Rioja "Vina Ardanza" Seleccion Especial Reserva which had tons of flavor and body which paired amazingly with our main courses:

Seared Duck Breast came with a Leek & Gruyere Bread Pudding which we both decalred to be the best part of the entire meal. We told Caroline it should be the star of the vegetarian option, and she said the staff always ordered it when they ate! Maple Sherry Brussels Spouts and Apricot-Orange Chutney rounded out the dish, which was alas marred by over-salting of the delicious duck. Will & I switched dishes halfway and I was even more shocked with the super salty yet gorgeously presented(FB photos) Rack of Venison special with Horseradish-Peppercorn Crust(I tasted no horseradish, just way too much salt--which luckily could be brushed off) on the Frenched rack and served with Parmesan Risotto, Roasted Beech Mushrooms and Port Reduction.

We were heartbroken when told the Caramelized Banana Bread Pudding on the dessert menu was replaced with a Cranberry -Orange version. Even Caroline said that nobody was ordering the new version as the old had been such a standard specialty of the Inn. We both chose the Vanilla Bean Custard with Butterscotch Sauce, Almond Cookie Crumble and Mascarpone Cream. It was rich and creamy and superb, more akin to a butterscotch pudding, but oddly tasted of salt!!! We did love it though as the salt was akin to salted caramel(I guess purposefully).

While the salt was an intrusion, it did not destroy our delicious dinner.

--

Richmond's (VA) ADARRA is awesome for terrific tapas (11-14-20)

 Our second night in Richmond had us going just about 3 minutes up the street to Adarra, which is a husband and wife team run place that opened not quite 2 years ago and has managed to maintain themselves through the pandemic despite the small indoor and outdoor spaces they have. Again exposed brick reigns with some wonderful oil paintings all over the room which has a beautifully constructed bar with 7 chairs (that are now not used) and only 4 tables in the room. Jas, the Bar manager explained the menu and we settled on some of the yummy cocktails he created: Will had the GLHF(Good Luck Have Fun) made with reposado tequila, blanco vermouth and fino, while had the Singh's Cheeky Sing Sling here made with nigori sake instead of gin which is more to my taste anyway(photos on FB).

I think the biggest and only problem here is that the menu lists 4 wines by the glass, so we assumed there were no bottles or wine list. We asked Jas and he said there were tons (Lyne the owner later said over 50), but no wine list. I wish they had a downloadable PDF for them like the menu. We let Jas & Lyne choose and had two wonderful reds that we would probably never find anywhere else as the list is beyond eclectic! First was a Julien Pineau "Les Saucettes a L'Aunis" from the Loire and made of the Pineau d'Aunis grape varietal which I have never heard of. It had an odd quasi-effervescence on the tongue that was not bubbly, but oddly sizzly and totally undescribable!

We ordered 4 dishes to share for starers with the Jamon Iberico Mangalica starring as it was cut in view of us, but on the other side of the room and had just enough fat, but not too much with a super salty taste on the roof of the mouth. Smoked Beets(no photo on FB sorry) was a divine preparation served hot with butter, honey & lemon. The Anchovies were nice and had a salad on top of shaved fennel & chiles. The Roasted Octopus was another big winner with the crispiest of tentacles and a yummy harissa over the fish with potatoes and scallions.

We moved on to a Jose Pastor "Albahra" 2019 from Envinate made of Grenache & Moravia which was a yummy red that worked brilliantly with our "main" dishes. I say "Main" as the menu is set up in a way that these dishes are all varying sizes and mean to be shared in no particular order. We started with the yummiest of Navajas al Natural or Razor Clams in brine with smoked butter, scallions and served with sliced baguette. Razor clams are so rare these days in the states, but here they are listed under the "Conserva" meaning they are purchased tinned and hence can be kept in the restaurant for some time without fear of spoiling; almost a necessity these days to allow variety.

Our largest dish was a "paella" style Guiso Gallego(a Galician stew)made with Shenandoah Lamb shoulder, Spanish short grain rice, mushrooms, peppers, onions, celery root and herbs. It was so satisfying on a chilly night and the flavors were spectacular. A bit more of the excellent lamb shoulder would have been welcome.

We saw cheese on the menu when we arrived and planned ahead for that as our dessert with the last of the wine. Three Spanish cheeses are on the plate and all were excellent: San Simon is a Galicia soft cow that is very smoky and pliable if-you-please. The soft Cana de Cabra goat is from Murcia and was as good as goat gets, but the winner is always the brilliant blue Valdeon from Leon.

We chatted with the team for a while (we were distanced at our table and they were behind the bar) and Chef/Owner Randall Doetzer saying what a fine selection and variety of food and drink they offer before we headed back to our hotel to continue onto the Virginia countryside today for our last night away before returning home.

Richmond's (VA) Parterre passes the test for taste (11-13-20)

 We decided we needed a weekend getaway as every vacation we have had planned (that's 5 or more) have all been cancelled since last March thru next February so far! For our first night in Richmond we ate in the restaurant in our quaint hotel, Linden Row Inn. Parterre seems to have nothing to do with the name, but we had a nice meal in a small room with distanced tables, good service and very inexpensive wine. We had forgotten how much lower the prices are when you get away from DC, and the portions seem to grow the further away you go!

The non too comfy wooden chairs will have you moving on quickly, and in addition we were told to please limit ourselves to 90 minutes, which was fine. The wooden tables and floors are part of the overall decor as the buildings here date back to the mid 18th century! There are old black and white photos of Richmond, exposed brick with white paint and the place was indeed very simple. We ordered a Meiomi 2017 Pinot Noir (blended from 56% Monterey County, 26% Santa Barbara County and 18% Sonoma County)which was medium bodied and ideal with our monstrous salads. Will had the Beet & Arugula Salad with local arugula, marinated beets, buratta, toasted pepitas and a pomegranate vinaigrette which he declared underwhelming. My even large Kale Salad came with dozens and dozens of Crispy Chickpeas, Feta, Golden Raisins, Pickled Red Onions and a very tasty Lemon-Honey Vinaigrette. I asked if the chick peas were fried and our severe said indeed but only for a second, which is why they were warm, yummy and crunchy really making a mark on the dish (fotos on FB).

We moved on to a Chianti Castello di Bossi 2015 which was one of the more expensive wines on the list at $40! It was a perfect wine with our main course as we both had the Smoked Duck Confit with Cardamom & Sorghum Sweet Potato Puree, Roasted Brussels Sprouts and a Pomegranate Reduction. We were grateful that we each got only a 1/4 duck(thigh and leg) as the dish was rich and filling as well.

No need for dessert as we had some Lindt Truffles left in our suite upstairs and had those with the rest of the wine back there!

Hallowe'en has heavenly debut of MOON RABBIT by Kevin Tien at the Washington Wharf(10/31/20)

 I'm not one to rush out to a new restaurant the day it opens as it is so often a bit crazy, but when I heard earlier last week that Chef Kevin Tien(of Top Chef/multiple awards/Emilie and more) in Dc was opening a new restaurant at the Intercontinental Hotel on Washington's Wharf, I thought it would be a wonderful chance to get out on Hallowe'en as Will was out of town to visit friends for the weekend.

We have often spent Hallowe'en with our friends Mel & Juan who celebrated their anniversary on this date, and since Mel had lost his wonderful husband several years earlier, I invited him to join me. I arrived early to find the huge ground floor space where Kith & Kin previously was completely redesigned to allow for maximum distancing. The tables and booths were oh so comfortable and lined opposites of the long rectangular space with a large bar at one one, but with no bar seating anymore. The floor-to-ceiling windows had the option of sliding away, but not one what was one of the coldest nights of the year so far. Oddly, there were a good number of folks dining outside in the 40 degree temps with the heat lamps turned up high. Of course, the harbor-view at the wharf makes this a great destination as well, save for the crazy parking costs!!

I eased into my comfy leather chair and ordered a bottle of Beronia Tempranillo 2013 Reserva(95%Tempranillo/4%  Graciano/1% Mazuelo) which I loved. Oddly, it was a 2014 which arrived(and was fine by me) on the first night of the new menu. It seems the small wine list is inherited from Kith & Kin and will be replaced with new selections in the coming weeks; I told Chef that a great intense Zinfandel would work so fine with his spices!

When Mel arrived we decided to split 2 appetizers and main courses and our server Daniel was extremely helpful in guiding us, despite the fact that the menu was not that large. I chose the Bai Tai Chanh or Venison Carpaccio with Watercress and Nuoc Cham. The salad was large and the meat was so tender and tasty with the fish sauce dressing and there was a crunchy element that was fabulous. The Grilled Prawns with garlic & Thai Baisl Butter, Muoi ot xanh sau dac and lime was suggested by Daniel and was a dream dish indeed with the grilled shrimp grilled to perfection and two sauces to dip in, both with amazing flavors.

We moved on to another red, this time an Essay Syrah from South Africa's Western Cape 2018 which was great with our main courses. The Lemongrass Pork Blade Steak came sliced with lettuce, Coconut Rice, fish oil and herb bouquet which was an adorable vase filled with fresh mint and basil to add for taste. The portions here are quite large and of all the dishes this was the least satisfying, not due to flavor, which was fab, but due to a tad too much fat on the meat. Chim Chut Bien Ho was the winner dish of Fried Quail with magnificent Biscuits and Fermented Chili Honey. I am a quail addict and these little birds were juicy but crispy and the biscuits would win any Southern competition!

We decided to split the one dessert on the menu and it is a winner: Banh Flan Ca Phe is a Condensed Milk Flan with Coffee Caramel and Chocolate Pearls (incidentally all the photos are on FaceBook) and we went home full and satisfied knowing that MOON RABBIT will indeed make it and hopefully survive this most difficult times for restaurants. While the room was not full, there were a good number of diners, many just friends of Chef Kevin(like us) who heard the news and I assume a number of guests from the hotel. We look forward to returning, especially when the weather warms up and we can sit outside on the beautiful waterfront.

--